Health Affairs · 2013 · 72 citations · 0 references
Public AffairsHealth PolicyHealth Services AdministrationHealth Services ResearchHealthcare Quality ImprovementOutcomes ResearchHealth Care Performance MeasurementHealth Program EvaluationHealth Services EvaluationMedicaidQuality Of CareService Delivery EvaluationCare Delivery InnovationChildren's Health Insurance ProgramContinuous Improvement PlanningHealth Program ImplementationMedicaid Innovation ModelsMedicare Innovation ModelsQuality Of Care EvaluationRapid-cycle Improvement
The Affordable Care Act created the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test payment and delivery models aimed at lowering costs while maintaining or improving care quality for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries, with a key focus on a rapid‑cycle evaluation approach. The article outlines the Rapid Cycle Evaluation Group’s goal of providing frequent provider feedback to support continuous quality improvement while rigorously assessing each model’s outcomes. The approach involves the Rapid Cycle Evaluation Group working closely with the CMS Office of the Actuary to deliver timely feedback and evaluate new models.
The Affordable Care Act established the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test innovative payment and service delivery models. The goal is to reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving the quality of care provided to beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Central to the success of the Innovation Center is a new, rapid-cycle approach to evaluation. This article describes that approach--setting forth how the Rapid Cycle Evaluation Group aims to deliver frequent feedback to providers in support of continuous quality improvement, while rigorously evaluating the outcomes of each model tested. This article also describes the relationship between the group's work and that of the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which plays a central role in the assessment of new models.